GB1571885A

GB1571885A - Packages

Info

Publication number: GB1571885A
Application number: GB4994075A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Metal Box PLC
Current assignee: Crown Packaging UK Ltd
Priority date: 1976-12-17
Filing date: 1976-12-17
Publication date: 1980-07-23

Description

(54) PACKAGES (71) We, METAL Box LIMITED, of Queens House, Forbury Road, Reading RGI 3JH, Berkshire, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to packages comprising a product within a carton, and to blanks for forming the cartons of such packages.

In accordance with the invention from one aspect there is provided a composite blank for forming a lined carton, comprised of a plane, elongate and substantially rectangular unitary sheet of relatively stiff material and an elongate, flattened but open-ended tube of flexible sheet material, the said sheet being laterally defined by a pair of parallel and free terminal edges, and being formed with four parallel, transverse hinge lines each orthogonal to, and extending between, the said terminal edges so as longitudinally of the sheet to form the same with a pair of equal width first rectangular panels, a pair of equal width second rectangular panels alternate with the first panels, and a glue flap, the said tube having a width slightly less than the combined width of a said first and a said second panel and being bonded to the sheet so as to be laterally centred on the combined inner two of the first and second panels, and projecting at either end beyond the free terminal edges of the sheet for forming end closures for the set-up carton.

In accordance with the invention from a further aspect there is provided a package comprised of a carton and a product therein, the carton being comprised of a productcontaining inner member formed of a tube of flexible sheet material closed at its ends to form mutually parallel and diaphragmatic end closures, and a rectangular section tubular outer member of substantially stiff material closely surrounding and attached to the inner member, at each of its ends the outer member being open and formed with a free - terminal edge which is substantially coplanar with the respective said end closure of the inner member, each end closure including a flattened fin seal extending externally and centrally across it between opposed, mutually parallel parts of its respective said free terminal edge, and inturned triangular portions of the tube material at the ends of the fin seal.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a package embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a composite blank forming one stage in the manufacture of the package; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the completed package.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a carton is formed of an outer member 10 and an inner member 11.

The outer member 10 is to be understood to be a plane and elongate rectangular blank of a sheet material having a substantial stiffness, e.g. paperboard. Typically it will have promotional printing on its underneath (i.e. non-visible) face.

Three parallel hinge lines 12 are creased or scored in the material of the outer member to define identical and rectangular front and back panels 13, 14 alternate with identical and rectangular panels 15, 16 of the same depth as those panels. Each panel 13 to 16 is internally unscored and uncreased.

The edge 22 of the front panel 13 opposite the side panel 15 is unattached; opposite the back panel 14, however, the side panel 16 carries a rectangular glue tab 18 attached along a score or crease line 19 parallel to the hinge lines 12. The common terminal edges of the panels 13 to 15 and the glue tab 18 along the top and bottom of the outer member are denoted by the reference numeral 33.

The inner member 11 is in the form of a flattened elongate tube made from a rectangular piece of laminated flexible sheet 20, the latter being in turn comprised of a layer of aluminium foil sandwiched between a layer of polyethylene on the inside of the member 11 and a layer of paper on the outside of that member. For clarity the layers of the sheet 20 are not separately shown in the drawings.

The member 11 is made into its tubular form by heat-bonding together the polyethylene layers of opposed marginal edges of the sheet to form an outwardly projecting fin seal 21, and flattening the fin seal against the tube thus formed.

The length of the inner member I 1 is substantially greater than the height (i.e.

the dimension along the hinge lines 12, 19) of the outer member 10. In addition, the width of the inner member is slightly less than the sum total of the widths of the back panel 14 and side panel 15. To form the carton the outer member 10 is supported on a horizontal support surface with a glue applied to its upper side as seen, and the premade inner member 11 is placed on the outer member in a central position in relation to the panels 14 and 15 both in the lateral and longitudinal senses.

The panel 16 and glue tab 18 of the outer member are then folded about the respective hinge line 12 and into overlying relation with the inner member, whereupon the panel 13 is folded upwardly about its hinge line 12 so as to attach it to the inner member 11 and, over a marginal portion adjacent its free edge 22, to the glue tab 18. The outer member is then in the form of a flattened tube closely surrounding, and attached to, the flattened tube of the inner member, and in this form the carton is despatched by the carton manufacturer to the packer for filling.

When it is required to fill the carton the packer opens the carton into its desired rectangular tubular form, and forms an end closure using one of the portions 23 at which the inner member 11 overhangs the outer member 10 at the ends of the tube.

To achieve the closure the packer firstly heat-bonds together opposed parts forming the marginal edge of the selected portion 23, so as to form a fin seal 24 (Fig. 2) which stands up centrally along a substantially tight diaphragm 25 formed by the remainder of the portion 23 between the opposed parts of the terminal edge 33 along the front and back panels 13, 14. Having formed the fin seal the packer flattens the latter to one side against the diaphragm 25, turns in the triangular portions 26 of excess material formed at each end of the fin seal, and glues those portions into position against the diaphragm and the adjacent part of the fin seal to complete the closure.

The closure is then as shown in Fig. 2 at the top end of the completed carton.

From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the closure is flush with, or slightly short of, the transverse plane of the adjacent free edge 33 of the outer member 10. It will also be seen that pleats 27 of excess material are formed by the above-described method adjacent the triangular portions 26. To ensure the integrity of the closure these pleats may be glued down to the underlying parts of the fin seal; furthermore, the fin seal itself may be glued to the diaphragm 25 where it overlies the same.

When the closure has been completed in this way the carton is ready for filling with instant coffee. After filling, the carton is completed by forming the other overhanging portion 23 into an end closure in a substantially identical manner to the first.

The carton is then ready for despatch, but may first be provided with an overwrap of plastics or cellulosic material if desired.

Although particularly described in relation to instant coffee the invention may be applied to the packaging of other products.

food or otherwise; it will be appreciated that the materials of the carton, the inner member in particular, are selected in accordance with the product being packed. The method used for forming the carton can also be subject to wide variation. In particular hot melt adhesive may be used instead of glue where the inner member lacks a paper backing.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A composite blank for forming a lined carton, comprised of a plane, elongate and substantially rectangular unitary sheet of relatively stiff material and an elongate, flattened but open-ended tube of flexible sheet material, the said sheet being laterally defined by a pair of parallel and free terminal edges, and being formed with four parallel, transverse hinge lines each orthogonal to, and extending between, the said terminal edges so as longitudinally of the sheet to form the same with a pair of equal width first rectangular panels, a pair of equal width second rectangular panels alternate with the first panels, and a glue flap, the said tube having a width slightly less than the combined width of a said first and a said second panel and being bonded to the sheet so as to be laterally centred on the combined inner two of the first and second panels, and projecting at either end beyond the free terminal edges of the sheet for forming end closures for the set-up carton.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. terminal edges of the panels 13 to 15 and the glue tab 18 along the top and bottom of the outer member are denoted by the reference numeral 33. The inner member 11 is in the form of a flattened elongate tube made from a rectangular piece of laminated flexible sheet 20, the latter being in turn comprised of a layer of aluminium foil sandwiched between a layer of polyethylene on the inside of the member 11 and a layer of paper on the outside of that member. For clarity the layers of the sheet 20 are not separately shown in the drawings. The member 11 is made into its tubular form by heat-bonding together the polyethylene layers of opposed marginal edges of the sheet to form an outwardly projecting fin seal 21, and flattening the fin seal against the tube thus formed. The length of the inner member I 1 is substantially greater than the height (i.e. the dimension along the hinge lines 12, 19) of the outer member 10. In addition, the width of the inner member is slightly less than the sum total of the widths of the back panel 14 and side panel 15. To form the carton the outer member 10 is supported on a horizontal support surface with a glue applied to its upper side as seen, and the premade inner member 11 is placed on the outer member in a central position in relation to the panels 14 and 15 both in the lateral and longitudinal senses. The panel 16 and glue tab 18 of the outer member are then folded about the respective hinge line 12 and into overlying relation with the inner member, whereupon the panel 13 is folded upwardly about its hinge line 12 so as to attach it to the inner member 11 and, over a marginal portion adjacent its free edge 22, to the glue tab 18. The outer member is then in the form of a flattened tube closely surrounding, and attached to, the flattened tube of the inner member, and in this form the carton is despatched by the carton manufacturer to the packer for filling. When it is required to fill the carton the packer opens the carton into its desired rectangular tubular form, and forms an end closure using one of the portions 23 at which the inner member 11 overhangs the outer member 10 at the ends of the tube. To achieve the closure the packer firstly heat-bonds together opposed parts forming the marginal edge of the selected portion 23, so as to form a fin seal 24 (Fig. 2) which stands up centrally along a substantially tight diaphragm 25 formed by the remainder of the portion 23 between the opposed parts of the terminal edge 33 along the front and back panels 13, 14. Having formed the fin seal the packer flattens the latter to one side against the diaphragm 25, turns in the triangular portions 26 of excess material formed at each end of the fin seal, and glues those portions into position against the diaphragm and the adjacent part of the fin seal to complete the closure. The closure is then as shown in Fig. 2 at the top end of the completed carton. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the closure is flush with, or slightly short of, the transverse plane of the adjacent free edge 33 of the outer member 10. It will also be seen that pleats 27 of excess material are formed by the above-described method adjacent the triangular portions 26. To ensure the integrity of the closure these pleats may be glued down to the underlying parts of the fin seal; furthermore, the fin seal itself may be glued to the diaphragm 25 where it overlies the same. When the closure has been completed in this way the carton is ready for filling with instant coffee. After filling, the carton is completed by forming the other overhanging portion 23 into an end closure in a substantially identical manner to the first. The carton is then ready for despatch, but may first be provided with an overwrap of plastics or cellulosic material if desired. Although particularly described in relation to instant coffee the invention may be applied to the packaging of other products. food or otherwise; it will be appreciated that the materials of the carton, the inner member in particular, are selected in accordance with the product being packed. The method used for forming the carton can also be subject to wide variation. In particular hot melt adhesive may be used instead of glue where the inner member lacks a paper backing. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A composite blank for forming a lined carton, comprised of a plane, elongate and substantially rectangular unitary sheet of relatively stiff material and an elongate, flattened but open-ended tube of flexible sheet material, the said sheet being laterally defined by a pair of parallel and free terminal edges, and being formed with four parallel, transverse hinge lines each orthogonal to, and extending between, the said terminal edges so as longitudinally of the sheet to form the same with a pair of equal width first rectangular panels, a pair of equal width second rectangular panels alternate with the first panels, and a glue flap, the said tube having a width slightly less than the combined width of a said first and a said second panel and being bonded to the sheet so as to be laterally centred on the combined inner two of the first and second panels, and projecting at either end beyond the free terminal edges of the sheet for forming end closures for the set-up carton.

2. A composite blank according to Claim

1 werein the glue flap is rectangular and defined at its ends by the said free terminal edges of the sheet.

3. A composite blank according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the sheet is formed of paperboard and the tube is formed of a laminated sheet comprising aluminium foil sandwiched between layers of polyethylene and paper, the laminated sheet being folded so that the polyethylene forms the innermost of the three foil layers and having marginal portions thereof overlapped and bonded together at their polyethylene layers to form a fin seal which is flattened against the tube so formed.

4. A package comprised of a carton and a product therein, the carton being com- prised of a product-containing inner member formed of a tube of flexible sheet material closed at its ends to form mutually parallel and diaphragmatic end closures, and a rectangular section tubular outer member of substantially stiff material closely surrounding and attached to the inner member, at each of its ends the outer member being open and formed with a free terminal edge which is substantially coplanar with the respective said end closure of the inner member, each end closure including a flattened fin seal extending externally and centrally across it between opposed, mutually parallel parts of its respective said free terminal edge, and inturned triangular portions of the tube material at the ends of the fin seal.

5. A composite blank, substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A package, substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.